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A man has been taken into custody after federal authorities accused him of causing damage to property in an attempt to confront New Jersey’s leading federal prosecutor, Alina Habba, in Newark.
The arrest of 51-year-old Keith Michael Lisa was confirmed by FBI spokesperson Emily Molinari on Saturday.
Molinari has not disclosed details regarding the timing or location of Lisa’s arrest, the specific charges he might be facing, his current custody status, or when he is expected to appear in court. It remains uncertain if Lisa has secured legal representation. The federal public defender’s office in Newark did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Saturday concerning Lisa’s representation.
The FBI had issued a notice on Friday, offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to Lisa’s arrest. He was wanted for charges related to the destruction of government property and possessing a dangerous weapon within a U.S. court facility. According to the notice, Lisa attempted to enter a federal office building in Newark’s downtown area on Wednesday, armed with a bat, and was denied entry. He later returned without the bat, gained access, and proceeded to the U.S. Attorney’s office, where he allegedly caused property damage.
Attorney General Pam Bondi shared on social media platform X that the FBI, along with the U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, collaborated effectively to apprehend Lisa.
“No one will get away with threatening or intimidating our great U.S. attorneys or the destruction of their offices,” Bondi wrote.
Habba was previously President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, representing him in various cases and acting as his spokesperson on legal matters. She served as a White House adviser briefly before Trump named her as interim U.S. attorney in March.
“We got him,” Habba wrote on X on Saturday. “This Justice Department under Attorney General Pam Bondi and our federal partners will not tolerate any acts of intimidation or violence toward law enforcement. So grateful to the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations for their tireless work to capture him. Now justice will handle him.”
Bondi had vowed that federal officials would find and prosecute the person, writing earlier that “Any violence or threats of violence against any federal officer will not be tolerated. Period.”
Trump formally nominated Habba as New Jersey’s permanent U.S. attorney on July 1, but the state’s two Democratic U.S. senators, Cory Booker and Andy Kim opposed it, stalling the confirmation process.
A few weeks later, as Habba’s 120-day interim appointment was expiring, New Jersey federal judges moved to replace her with her second-in-command. Bondi then fired that prosecutor and renamed Habba as acting U.S. attorney.
Last month, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in a case challenging her appointment. It hasn’t ruled.